A Little History of African Slavery

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

I saw this on Facebook and found it interesting, particularly the very small percentage of African slaves that came to the American mainland. It kind of begs the question of why after so any years the U.S. South is remembered as the bad guys when so many more went to South America. And note this doesn't include the many white slaves sent form Ireland and other European countries to South America.

Note....It takes about 10 sec. for this video to start.

http://www.slate.com/articles/life/the_history_of_american_slavery/2015/06/animated_interactive_of_the_history_of_the_atlantic_slave_trade.html?wpsrc=sh_all_mob_fb_top

[autigeremt 6,569]

It doesn't matter.....

[aujeff11 6,243]

I saw this on Facebook and found it interesting, particularly the very small percentage of African slaves that came to the American mainland. It kind of begs the question of why after so any years the U.S. South is remembered as the bad guys when so many more went to South America. And note this doesn't include the many white slaves sent form Ireland and other European countries to South America.

Note....It takes about 10 sec. for this video to start.

http://www.slate.com..._all_mob_fb_top

I asked a question a long time ago that I think deals with your question. The United States created a mess, even a war over slavery. Consequentially, racial tensions have continued since then. Meanwhile, other nations merely agreed to stop slavery. Those nations did not force the abolishment of slavery, much less go to war over the abolishment of slavery, and those nations have not had the racial tensions that we have had ever since they abolished slavery. IMO,because racial tensions came to more of a sudden stop elsewhere, it is like people forget that those countries even practiced slavery. Also, we were one of the last countries to abolish slavery as well, so that doesnt help either.

[Mims44 1,864]

I would say because we do not judge ourselves based off the actions of other countries.

[Mims44 1,864]

The UAE finally abolishes slavery in the 1960's, but no one cares about the UAE. People like to talk about the USA.

We are the Kim Kardashian of countries, if unpopular countries s*** the bed no one cares, or likely is even aware it happened. When we mess up it's gonna be a talking point for a long long time.

[autigeremt 6,569]

Slavery still exists in Asia and a few other "remote" lands.

[aujeff11 6,243]

The UAE finally abolishes slavery in the 1960's, but no one cares about the UAE. People like to talk about the USA.

We are the Kim Kardashian of countries, if unpopular countries s*** the bed no one cares, or likely is even aware it happened. When we mess up it's gonna be a talking point for a long long time.

The UAE is quite different than America lol. They didnt gain independence until the 1960's for one and they still practice sharia law. As a matter of fact, they have the same civil liberties rating from freedom house as Russia. You probably could have chosen a better example.

[aujeff11 6,243]

Slavery still exists in Asia and a few other "remote" lands.

The United States is a democratic country. I don't understand why you are comparing us to other barbaric countries. Nobody is going to be alarmed about slavery if their freedom house index is high and their rights are low. Quite opposite actually.

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

jeff.....re. your post #3 above....I think you pretty much nailed it. But you would think that after 150 years we would have moved on. Unfortunately with recent events it has all taken backward steps IMHO.

[AURaptor 1,121]

It's a political agenda which has a huge pay off. Just ask Al, Jesse and Obama. White guilt has paid off in buckets.

[Mims44 1,864]

The UAE finally abolishes slavery in the 1960's, but no one cares about the UAE. People like to talk about the USA.

We are the Kim Kardashian of countries, if unpopular countries s*** the bed no one cares, or likely is even aware it happened. When we mess up it's gonna be a talking point for a long long time.

The UAE is quite different than America lol. They didnt gain independence until the 1960's for one and they still practice sharia law. As a matter of fact, they have the same civil liberties rating from freedom house as Russia. You probably could have chosen a better example.

I could have, because there are a lot. But again, it doesn't matter because 1) We don't judge ourselves off other countries. and 2) We consider ourselves to be one of the better, or THE best country in the world, and other countries even if they don't believe America is great KNOW that Americans think America is the best.

And that is why having this shitstain on our past is such a big deal, it's the reason some love to harp on it constantly and the reason others go to great lengths to ignore or even deny that it happened.

[TitanTiger 20,469]

jeff.....re. your post #3 above....I think you pretty much nailed it. But you would think that after 150 years we would have moved on. Unfortunately with recent events it has all taken backward steps IMHO.

Part of that is because the legacy of slavery lasted at least 100 years beyond the end of slavery itself. The South reverted into Jim Crow stuff, the KKK and every official form of white supremacy they could get away with for the next hundred years by suppressing the right to vote, lynchings, segregation, intimidation, discrimination in housing, discrimination in lending. You name a way they could keep blacks down and subjugated to whites and give whites every advantage in the book and they did it. And it took the absolute force of the federal government and the Civil Rights laws to simply make the overt stuff illegal. Then you've had another 50 years of lingering racism to deal with. Things are much better now, but things still remain.

So it isn't as simply as "it was 150 years ago, move on already." The ripple effects of slavery and the 100+ years of behavior after that haven't totally subsided.

[homersapien 11,352]

It's a political agenda which has a huge pay off. Just ask Al, Jesse and Obama. White guilt has paid off in buckets.

Right! That's exactly why blacks are so much wealthier than whites.

[AURaptor 1,121]

It's a political agenda which has a huge pay off. Just ask Al, Jesse and Obama. White guilt has paid off in buckets.

Right! That's exactly why blacks are so much wealthier than whites.

Al Sharpton sure as hell is.

[Mims44 1,864]

It's a political agenda which has a huge pay off. Just ask Al, Jesse and Obama. White guilt has paid off in buckets.

Right! That's exactly why blacks are so much wealthier than whites.

Can't blame that on the south alone, that's an American **** up:)

[alexava 6,973]

PT, what point are you making, why this thread?

[homersapien 11,352]

The UAE finally abolishes slavery in the 1960's, but no one cares about the UAE. People like to talk about the USA.

We are the Kim Kardashian of countries, if unpopular countries s*** the bed no one cares, or likely is even aware it happened. When we mess up it's gonna be a talking point for a long long time.

The UAE is quite different than America lol. They didnt gain independence until the 1960's for one and they still practice sharia law. As a matter of fact, they have the same civil liberties rating from freedom house as Russia. You probably could have chosen a better example.

I could have, because there are a lot. But again, it doesn't matter because 1) We don't judge ourselves off other countries. and 2) We consider ourselves to be one of the better, or THE best country in the world, and other countries even if they don't believe America is great KNOW that Americans think America is the best.

And that is why having this shitstain on our past is such a big deal, it's the reason some love to harp on it constantly and the reason others go to great lengths to ignore or even deny that it happened.

Hmmm. I suspect there may be a cause/effect thing going on here.

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

alex....I wasn't trying to make any point. As I said I saw it on Facebook and found it interesting info. Does every topic have to have some hidden point? Geez.

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

I'm surprised they haven't pulled all the reruns of "I Love Lucy." After all Archie Bunker in his humorous way was as racist as they come. That would never fly today which is why I think we have gone backwards with over sensitivity and PC.

[alexava 6,973]

alex....I wasn't trying to make any point. As I said I saw it on Facebook and found it interesting info. Does every topic have to have some hidden point? Geez.

just wondering. no reason to geez.

[Mims44 1,864]

The UAE finally abolishes slavery in the 1960's, but no one cares about the UAE. People like to talk about the USA.

We are the Kim Kardashian of countries, if unpopular countries s*** the bed no one cares, or likely is even aware it happened. When we mess up it's gonna be a talking point for a long long time.

The UAE is quite different than America lol. They didnt gain independence until the 1960's for one and they still practice sharia law. As a matter of fact, they have the same civil liberties rating from freedom house as Russia. You probably could have chosen a better example.

I could have, because there are a lot. But again, it doesn't matter because 1) We don't judge ourselves off other countries. and 2) We consider ourselves to be one of the better, or THE best country in the world, and other countries even if they don't believe America is great KNOW that Americans think America is the best.

And that is why having this shitstain on our past is such a big deal, it's the reason some love to harp on it constantly and the reason others go to great lengths to ignore or even deny that it happened.

Hmmm. I suspect there may be a cause/effect thing going on here.

For some yep, for others, not so much.

[quietfan 233]

I saw this on Facebook and found it interesting, particularly the very small percentage of African slaves that came to the American mainland. It kind of begs the question of why after so any years the U.S. South is remembered as the bad guys when so many more went to South America. And note this doesn't include the many white slaves sent form Ireland and other European countries to South America.

Not an unreasonable question, historically. It may have been discussed in history journals or books.

But unlike sports titles, I don't think "bad guy" is a title that is restricted to one holder at a time. Of course slavery anywhere else was/is just as evil. But as Americans, we may be more aware of our own history than South America's. And since the U.S.A.'s footprint in the rest of the world is and has been far larger than South America's, other nations may be more aware of our history than theirs as well.

I'm also not very familiar with South American legal or social history post-slavery. Did any of the South American countries go through a long period of apartheid or Jim Crow? The very fact of having a larger slave population could mean that the descendants of slaves are/were more numerous as well (perhaps even a majority?) and not as easy to abuse or marginalize as the African minority in this country after the Civil War. Apartheid (Jim Crow) and legalized division/hate/racism existed here until the 1950's-'60's, not just pre-1865. Again, I don't know much about the history of race relations in South America post-slavery, so I'm only speculating/brainstorming.

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

quietfan....can't answer all your questions but I have been all over South America and I can tell you that in big cities like Buenos Aires and Rio blacks are concentrated in slums with little love by the whites. It is especially bad in Rio and Brazil but that's where most of the slaves went to to start with. One problem there is the language. Portuguese, the national language, and for some reason most blacks still don't speak it.

[alexava 6,973]

This has interested me. I will put it on my research list.

[quietfan 233]

quietfan....can't answer all your questions but I have been all over South America and I can tell you that in big cities like Buenos Aires and Rio blacks are concentrated in slums with little love by the whites. It is especially bad in Rio and Brazil but that's where most of the slaves went to to start with. One problem there is the language. Portuguese, the national language, and for some reason most blacks still don't speak it.

While I'm not planning to invest any time researching the history of race relations in South America at the present...got higher priorities on my time...I appreciate your personal accounts of your experiences. Thanks.